JFK

Warning! This is a long post (1,244 words).

So it is 2222 (10:22pm) Eastern time, I’ve been in the JFK airport since about 1730 (5:30pm) eastern time. On our flight coming into JFK we had to fly up and around Buffalo, NY because New York City was under a tornado warning, yes I said New York City was under a tornado warning. Coming in we already knew that we were on a later flight because our original flight to Boston from JFK was cancelled, however when we got here that the flight was delayed until 2335 (11:35pm). Now it is 2230 and our flight doesn’t leave JFK until 0100ish. So after leaving my house at 0750 this morning (15 Aug 08), I will arrive in Boston sometime Saturday morning. But as I told my parents it could be worse. This could be Saturday night when I report into the NROTC unit the next morning at 0800 or even worse yet, I could just now be going to into my senior year. So all of this travel hassle is worth it in the long run (yes mom it is no matter how much you wish you could turn back the clock so I am that cute curly haired girl asking for a little brother….instead of the 18 year old (almost) freshman in college asking myself why I wanted a little brother (just kidding…about the little brother part…you know I love him)).

One of the best parts about being stuck in the airport is the Olympics are on one of the televisions so I am currently watching them, live, and just witnessed the most amazing race I have ever seen. As many people know (probably will know if it has been done by the time I post this) that Michael Phelps is going for eight gold medals. There was some competition for his 400IM, 200IM, he blew everyone out of the water on his 200free and 200fly, the 4x100 relay was insane with the USA out touching France at the last second to win gold, and there was no one to touch the 4x200 relay when the USA broke seven minutes. But the men’s 100m fly race will go down in history when Phelps tied the gold medal record in a single game at seven gold medals.

However, that isn’t what made the race spectacular. After what looked like a not so great start it looked like Phelps was maybe fourth going into the turn at 50m and was second with about 15m left to go in the race. The next thing you know it looks like Phelps goal with be halted in his tracks when the almost impossible happens, Phelps takes one last stroke and has enough power to out touch Milorad Čavić of Serbia by .01 seconds and took gold. What was really cool is that everyone that was here in JFK airport cheered when he won. It didn’t matter that people were stressed about delayed flights but everyone was excited that Phelps dream was still alive and that he an American won. Having swam that race or at least the yards equivalent I know how hard it is but doing it after 15 other races in 6 days before hand is crazy and than winning the gold by .01 just makes it go from being an amazing race to an insane race just tops it all off.
All he has left now is the 4x100 medley relay which he will swim Sunday morning Chinese time (whatever time zone that is) and on the east coast I will watch it live and know if he received eight gold medals before I leave for NROTC and am out of connect.

Boy, I am rambling a lot, I’m up to 613 words but given there isn’t much else to do I figured you all can put up with my ramblings for a little while longer (at least I haven’t written as much as my mom does… yet J).

So total change of topic… well not total change it has to do with me going to Boston.
On Wednesday night (13 Aug 08) we had a send-off for Shannon and myself. Even though I am beyond ready to leave for college, I know that I had an amazing neighborhood and though we aren’t as close as we were when we were younger I wanted to say goodbye to everyone. One of my wishes for when I get married and have kids is I find a neighborhood like the one I grew up in…”The Frontier Gang.” I found a second mom in Deb (not that you weren’t good enough, mom, you’re the best!, but someone else I could go talk with) and everyone else was there to look out for everyone. I mean we pulled off the ultimate thing, I trip to Mexico with 23 of us (how many people can say that?). Shannon and I are really the first of the group to leave for college, making everyone one wish everyone was little again but because we can’t roll time back they settled for telling stories about us.

When we first met them, I was the curly haired blond in a really nice coat Grammy had gotten me. To the time Tom was trying to get dressed and I was just talking away at him to getting to stay up till 10:30 (really late at the time) and watch the Three Stooges in the summer to our forts on the landing. The times Greg and I would race each other in reading, to Matt (he would kill me if he saw this) wanting to play Ken when I brought Barbie over. My mom would even get mad at me because in the mornings after having breakfast at home I would go and get it and Deb’s too. Taking chocolate and Pepsi over to Deb to talk and enjoy an afternoon on her porch (fudge popsicles from the ice cream man anyone?) All of the parties (especially 4th of July) and late nights in front of the fire not to mention the snow cave/sledding hill in front of the house. Dang that is a lot of stuff and I could go on but back to the party.

The party was simple which is just how I wanted it, pizza, mommas( spell check…but I like how it looks) dip and homemade brownies (made by me of course). Dawn made Shannon and I blanks that were amazing (actually it was the first thing that went in the suitcase). We had a usual Frontier style party; god food, drinks, stories and fun. Though I think the best part came when I got my hugs from Greg and Matt. I actually got that hug twice because I went over to Deb’s on Thursday night. Greg and Matt were… no are brothers to me. We grew up together, slept over at each other’s houses, and went to New York and Mexico (twice) with them. Even though we don’t hang out anymore as much anymore I still felt that connection to them (even though they both need to stop growing, they are getting to tall already…for some reason I don’t think I will get my wish).

Ok my butt is getting sore from setting on a hard bench. I’m done rambling on and on about things. So here is to my next adventure and I will have plenty more to write after my NROTC orientation.